SEO and Web Editors – the Basics I

SEO: Web editors should know it and use it

by Alan Eggleston

Someone on our Web Editors LinkedIn group started a discussion asking, “How clued up on SEO are editors? What impact on writing style?” In my experience, most websites, let alone most Web editors, are not SEO (search engine optimization) savvy, but in particular, most Web editors aren’t and should be. So as a service to Web editors everywhere, I’ve committed to start a short series on SEO for Web editors to bring them up-to-speed.

I started learning about SEO back in 1998 as a Web editor grappling with the concept of meta data. My manager walked up to me and said, “You need to learn about meta data.” I researched search engines on it and couldn’t find anything meaningful. It took me some time back then to learn that meta data meant the hidden content in the coding, the content that browsers and search engines read but that most readers never see. To some, that also includes the page title, because you find it with the rest of the meta data in the source coding, even though it’s visible at the top of the browser when you access the Web page. Over time, learning through others, I came to realize the meta data was the key to maximizing your position with search engines. That was a long time ago.

Today, if you do a search on SEO, you’ll find much more than you need, most often from companies who want to sell you SEM (search engine marketing) services. They will promise to bump up your SERPs (search engine results pages) – many will guarantee top results, even though promising that is like a meteorologist promising to get the weather forecast right every time. Ignore the promises and guarantees. Even if they can bump up your rankings the bump will be temporary at best and may, in fact, end up hurting you in the long run.

I’m not going to sell you anything. I’m going to tell you the basics that you as a seasoned editorial professional can use to optimize your website for the search engines. That’s what SEO is all about. The basics are what you need. From there you can read intelligently through the rest of what you’ll find to decide how best to tweak your site to improve performance.

Topics I will introduce you to in the days ahead include:

• Meta Data Makes the Difference
• Content and the Role of Relevancy
• Links add Value and Tap Authority
• Keywords for Planning and Clarity
• Promotion Implies Relationships
• Site Prep Paves the Way
• Resources for Staying “Clued Up”

Be sure to comment if you have questions or comments. No spamming allowed.

Alan Eggleston is a freelance Web writer and Web editor for E-Messenger Internet Consulting Inc. Join him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.